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As the sixth-largest economy in the world, the US state of California has set itself some of the developed world’s most ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. Thanks to favorable geography, forward-looking government policies and a private sector willing to invest in renewable energy sources, California is well on track to meet or even surpass these goals. Yet as Phoebe Braithwaite explains in Wired UK, California’s transition to a low-carbon energy future has created a new set of challenges that policy makers have yet to solve. getAbstract recommends her article to policy makers and utility sector professionals.

In this summary, you will learn

Why production costs for solar power have fallen,

Why California can’t use all the solar energy it produces and

How the transition to renewable energy is posing new challenges.

About the Author

Phoebe Braithwaite is a writer for Wired UK.

Summary

Solar power is the fastest-growing source of global energy. Due to economies of scale in countries like China and technical breakthroughs, solar has become one of the most inexpensive power sources in the world. Although costs for solar panels remain relatively high for residential-scale electricity generation, governments can employ subsidies and electricity buyback programs to encourage private individuals to make the investment. The US state of California now requires all new homes to have solar panels as part of its commitment to generate half of its electricity from noncarbon sources by 2030.